Recovery
by Whyt Wulf
Summary: About four months post BDM. Set immediately after the events of Reunion. After being reunited with their parents, Simon tries to discover why River seems so ... normal. Mal and River try not to rush, while Simon tries not to believe it at all. MalRiver.
1. Nightly Ritual, Confrontation Pt 1

**Disclaimer:** None of these are my characters. Joss Whedon is the man (a.k.a. 'Joss is boss.')

Chapter 1

Serenity was quiet, just the way River liked it. They had delivered their shipment of protein bars to Bernadette early, since the ship was in such wonderful condition after their visit to Osiris. After that, they had spent a week traveling to Aberdeen, where they dropped off the machine parts to some factories. Now, ten days out of Persephone, where all hundred barrels of expensive wine had been, miraculously, safely delivered to the vendor, they were headed far out into the Rim territories. The Captain had high hopes of large profits, with the three crates of contraband hidden away behind the walls of the hold.

The young navigator had just set the autopilot, and was powering down for shipboard night, when she heard quiet steps coming through the hatch from the passageway. Mal always tried to sneak up on her, and always failed miserably. Sometimes she'd carry on obliviously with her duties, letting him think he'd finally succeeded, only to speak up or turn around suddenly when he was right behind her. This usually got a more entertaining outburst from him than those times she reacted as soon as she heard him. Tonight was one of those nights.

River was punching buttons and flipping switches, powering the ship down for the night, and Mal was fairly certain she hadn't heard him. He lifted his arm to tap her on the shoulder when, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, the pilot's chair spun around and he found himself knocked to the deck, an amazingly quick and agile young woman kneeling on his chest. "Gorram it! How do you do that?!" Mal's frustration was too comical not to laugh at, and River did as she helped him to his feet. "Ain't I ever gonna be able to catch you by surprise?"

"Perhaps you should try sneaking into my room while I'm sleeping," River giggled. This game was so much fun she couldn't help poking her Captain in one of his tender moral places. "Of course, you're so noisy you'd be as likely to wake me from the dead."

"Ha, ha," Mal intoned drily. "You may think this is some wonderful, clan_des_tine romance," River loved the way Mal threw a cowboy accent on certain words, "but I still aim to do right by you and your brother. And, come to think of it, now I got your folks to worry about, too. You done up here for the night?" At River's nod, Mal casually tossed an arm over her shoulder and led her toward the galley.

They had developed a nightly ritual of sorts. Mal always took one last walk through the ship, making sure everything was buttoned up or strapped down, then tried fruitlessly to sneak up on River while she was powering down the ship. After she picked him up off the floor, where she inevitably tossed him, they'd head to the kitchen together for a glass of Kaylee's engine wine and some dry biscuits. River loved this late night routine, and the conversations that always came along with it.

"So, Captain," River said once they'd taken seats in the galley lounge, "do you have a destination in mind, or are we just going to float around out here until someone calls asking if we've got any frozen animal embryos for sale?" The mischievous grin she gave Mal calmed his ire before he started to think she was challenging his methods.

Mal smiled back at her and answered, "Actually, I was thinkin' we might try Triumph. They always seem to be in need of more animals for their herds." This time, he vowed silently to himself, he wouldn't take payment in bride/ship thief.

He knew River had 'heard' him when she smiled that evil, I-know-what-you're-thinking smile he was learning so well. "You don't want to go to Triumph. You know they can't pay you if you won't accept another wife. Besides, I don't like competition." Another mirthful smile made Mal chuckle softly.

"You got a point, of course." Mal's face took on a thoughtful cast, and eventually he said, "How 'bout Constance?"

"They know you, and they know the ship," River responded. "We didn't exactly leave under happy circumstances."

"That bank job would have been nice and quiet," Mal said, "and we wouldn't have to avoid yet _another_ world, if not for that gorram Ott." Mal and the others were still bitter about the foiled job. "How about Muir? Badger always seemed to think well of it."

"That's because he grew up there," River answered. "I suppose one half-empty farming moon is as good as another. Except those we've already been kicked off." River decided sitting across the couch from Mal, discussing business, was getting a little old. She slid across the cushions and leaned against the Captain, resting her head on his chest. He draped an arm gently over her, and laid back against the side of the couch to make them more comfortable.

"Ya know," Mal observed, "one of these days your brother is gonna get up for a lil' midnight snack, and he ain't likely to be too happy with me if he sees us like this." This was part of the nightly ritual, of course. Mal always worried about Simon, probably because the doctor had only ever punched one man, and it was because of his sister. Unfortunately, Mal was that one man.

At River's exasperated sigh, Mal decided to change the subject. "So, shut me up if'n I'm outta place or you don't wanna talk about it, but you seem mighty stable the past month or so. Is your brother dopin' you with some new super drug I ain't been told about? And if so, how is he affordin' it, what with the meager pay I give 'im?"

River ran a hand along Mal's stubbled cheek and laughed lightly. "No, he's not. I haven't needed any meds since we visited Osiris. Matter of fact, I've needed them less and less since Miranda. And I don't know if I'd call the pay meager, after this very successful run."

"Well, I appreciate your support, lil' one," said Mal, "but that's beside the point. I'd like to know if this improvement in you is somethin' I can be comfortable gettin' used to, or if it's some kinda lucky break we're gettin'. I'd hate to see you, especially, get used to bein' ... well, normal, I guess, and then slip right back into your bad days again. Maybe you should talk to the doc about it."

"I really don't think I need to check with Simon every time I have a few good days in a row, Mal," River groused. "You worry too much." The pout she gave the Captain was priceless, and he wondered briefly if she'd been taking lessons from Inara.

"A few good days?" Mal scoffed. "Fine then, for my peace'a mind, at least -" Mal was silenced when River stretched up to lock her lips over his. A breathless minute later, Mal managed to gasp, "What was that for?" River had reached up and twined her fingers in the Captain's soft hair, and she continued to play along his scalp for a moment.

She gave him a satisfied smile as she said, "Do I really need a reason?" Mal shook his head a bit, but before he could say anything, River continued. "Had to shut you up. Didn't want to talk about it anymore."

"You coulda just said somethin', but I ain't complainin'," Mal said. "Matter of fact, I still got a bit of an itch in my voice box. Don't quite think I got the point first try."

XXXXX

Mal came to slowly. His neck ached terribly, and there was a weight on his chest and legs. Some sound had caught his attention, pulling him out of the most peaceful sleep he'd had in years. As awareness slowly flooded back into him, he realized the source of his aches: he'd fallen asleep on the couch in the galley lounge, and the weight was River. Her head was still resting on his chest, her fingers tangled in his hair, and her legs twined intimately with his. He knew all this without even opening his eyes.

When the Captain did open his eyes, however, the sense of peace evaporated quicker than rubbing alcohol under a blazing sun. Simon stood above them, at the foot of the couch. The look on his face was extremely unhappy. Mal blinked a few times, hoping the doctor was just a figment of his tired imagination. When Simon didn't disappear, he decided it was time to start explaining.

"Hey, doc," Mal began lamely. "Uhh, what're you doin' up so late?"

"Captain," Simon said in a deceptively calm, yet dangerous voice, "if you know what's good for you, you'll extricate yourself from my sister and explain why I'm seeing what I'm seeing. Quickly."

Mal, always having been a fan of dying on his feet, if at all, nevertheless took extreme care in not waking River as he wriggled out from under her. He set her head down gently on a pillow, then kissed her forehead tenderly. Hell, if the doc was about to do him bodily harm, he may as well make it worth the pain.

"If you really want to push me, Captain, there are easier ways to do it," Simon said. His irritation was starting to show through. His voice was slightly louder than Mal liked, since River was still sleeping peacefully less than five feet away. Mal grabbed Simon by the arm and dragged him into the kitchen.

"Doc, you best be keepin' your voice down," Mal said. "If you're lookin' to fight, I can make that happen. I won't have you wakin' her up, though. Not for some foolishness she don't need upsettin' her." Mal looked Simon in the eye for a long moment, willing him to calm down, before he continued. "Now I know you got issues with this, and believe me, I tried to stay away. That girl must'a picked up on Inara's wiles, though, cuz I'll be damned if I didn't get dragged in, just like her pretty eyes were quicksand. She ain't a bitty girl anymore, Simon. She's a woman, mind and body. She knows what world she's headin' for, and goes full burn. Ain't a thing you or I can do to stop that. 'Sides, I ain't rightly sure I'd try to stop it if I could."

Simon was speechless for a moment, his jaw working up and down rhythmically. Then he said the only thing a big brother in his situation could say. "Are you sleeping with her?" The doctor threw as much venom into those five words as Mal had ever heard spoken, and it stunned him momentarily.

Mal recovered quickly, though, and tried once again to calm the young man staring murder at him. "Doc, much as I hate to say it, I promise you'll know if things start gettin' physical between me'n your sister. I'd have her on birth control quicker'n you could take another swing at me." Mal made a show of relaxing, hoping to put Simon at his ease, and smiled.

Unfortunately for the Captain, his gambit had the opposite effect. Before he knew what was happening, Mal found himself slammed up against a wall. "If you think this is funny, _Mal_," Simon growled, emphasizing the lack of title in his response, "you'll find that having me on your bad side is a very dangerous proposition. Don't you _dare_ take advantage of her."

Extracting his vest from Simon's clenched fists as calmly as possible, Mal gently pushed the irate doctor back a few steps. "Doctor, you need to be calmin' down right about now. I guarantee, if I hurt your sister in any way, you'll be first in line to string me up. Now unless you got somethin' constructive to say, this conversation is over. _Dong ma_?" Simon gave the Captain a tight-lipped nod. "Good. Now I'm gonna take River to her room, and then I'm goin' to bed. We still got issues, we can hash 'em out tomorrow. Good night, doctor."

Mal turned around to collect his pilot, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. Turning back to Simon with a scowl, the Captain was greeted by an anxious expression. "Ahh, you do mean to your own bunk, right?" Simon asked. At Mal's angry, confused look, the doctor continued, "You said you're going to bed. Do you mean in your own bunk?"

Mal gave Simon a calm smile and answered, "I don't reckon that's any of your business, doctor. Sweet dreams." _He'll have anything but, after that_, Mal thought viciously to himself.

The Captain returned to the couch and gently scooped River into his arms. She slept the whole way to her room. When Mal set her down on her bed and turned to go, however, she woke up just enough to take his hand. "Stay," was all she said. Looking down at her peaceful form, Mal couldn't think what it would hurt to spend a night away from his bunk, angry brother or no. _Not like it'll be the first time I've slept in this bed_, he thought ruefully. Mal laid down next to his little navigator, kissed her tenderly on the head, and they were both soon sleeping peacefully, wrapped around each other like longtime lovers.

* * *

_Dong ma_? - Understand? 


	2. The Dream Again, Confrontation Pt 2

**Disclaimer:** None of these are my characters. Joss Whedon is the man (a.k.a. 'Joss is boss.')

Chapter 2

_He was in the Valley. Except it wasn't the Valley. It looked the same, minus the bodies, bugs and carrion birds. It was peaceful. Mal couldn't ever remember having seen Serenity Valley actually live up to it's name. His only memories of the place were violent, blood choked ones. He stood on the hill where they had made their last stand, right before they were ordered to lay down arms and surrender. He could look clear across the Valley, through the clean air and the brilliant sunshine. After a few minutes, Mal thought he could detect a slight movement on the other side of the Valley, though it was difficult at this distance to tell for sure what it was._

Wait a minute_, Mal thought. _I remember this, I'm dreaming._ Same as last time, the figure was suddenly picking her way up the hillside toward him. Yes, he saw, it was still River, still wearing that same, blood-soaked dress, and still carrying the sword from the cargo bay. There was still blood dripping from the tip of the blade, though it seemed somehow less important this time. Less substantial._

_When she was no more than ten feet in front of and slightly below him, she stopped. Slowly, she looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were expressive. Not vacant, like on some days, not angry, like on the really bad ones. Almost ... happy. As if whatever she was thinking was somehow detached from the bloody blade in her hand . She held the sword out to him, pommel first, and he had to walk toward her to take it. He never broke eye contact. Once he had the weapon in his hand, he was finally able to look away from those beautiful eyes. He looked down at the sword, and found it was clean. Not a spot of blood, not a bit of grime adhered to the clean length of metal. He was also relieved to see it had remained the sword from the cargo bay, this time, and hadn't become the Reaver blade like the last dream._

_Mal looked back up at River, confusion in the lines of his face. "This changed. Why are things different this time?"_

"_You're learning to accept it," she replied. "You've discovered that Zoë was only one of two people who made it out of here. You saved another person then, and you've finally begun to let that person out of the shell you became after this battle." She smiled up at him happily. "Neither one of us is so broken and helpless as we were before," she continued. "Two broken people can fix each other. You asked why I had been so stable recently. Maybe you should be asking why _you_ are."_

_This time, she didn't turn around and walk away. Mal looked down at the pristine blade he held, and then dropped it, in imitation of last time. When it hit the ground, it changed this time into two people. Mal saw himself, lying in a lover's embrace with River. They both wore contented expressions on their faces._

_"These are the people we were destined to meet," River said in a peaceful voice. "These are the people we were destined to become. It's finally time for you to wake up, my love. It's time for both of us to wake up."_

XXXXX

Mal did wake up then, with a pervading sense of tranquility suffusing his body. He was still wrapped up with River in her bed, and she was smiling at him. Mal decided there was nothing wrong, after all, with falling asleep next to this young woman. This was something he could get used to, waking up to this wonderful sight every morning. _Careful_, he cautioned himself.

"That was much better," River said at last, her voice still slightly slurred with sleep. "I knew you'd come around."

"Did you do that, lil' one?" Mal asked suspiciously. River shook her head. "I didn't reckon you did. Thank you, anyway. You're right, it was whole lot better than the last one. You sure you're okay this time, what with not havin' control'a yourself and all?"

River smiled sleepily and kissed him in answer. "All along, you were the one with no control. It was my pleasure to be able to assist you in your awakening. How long do you think we can stay here," River asked by way of changing the subject, "before Simon comes back for round two?"

"You knew about that, huh?" Mal asked. River gave him a look that said, _Duh, reader, remember_? Mal chuckled. "I reckon we got us a little while, at least." Mal settled himself more comfortably in River's arms and looked into her eyes. They were peaceful, happy, and sane. He couldn't remember a more beautiful sight.

XXXXX

"I'll meet you in the galley in a bit," Mal said quietly, kissing River's forehead as he got out of bed an hour later. The Captain stepped from her room, closing her door quietly. He'd head back to his bunk, wash up and change clothes before grabbing a late breakfast. It was ship's mid-morning, and they still had to lay in a course for Muir today.

_click click, weeeeee_

Mal spun at the sound of Vera being cocked, and froze when he saw Jayne in his customarily threatening pose. _Well_, he thought, _this is getting old_. "Jayne?" the Captain asked.

"Well, well, Mal," Jayne growled. "Doc mentioned there might be some trouble down in the passenger dorms, but I didn't expect this ruttin' scene. What'chu doin' sneakin' outta moonbrain's room?"

"Okay, that little nickname is gettin' mighty old, Jayne," Mal said tiredly. "What I'm doin' is none'a your gorram business. Now unless you aim to use that, I'd suggest you put it away." Mal tried to push past his mercenary, thinking a brave face was his safest bet, but Jayne stepped in his way.

"What if I do aim to use her, Mal?" Jayne asked.

"Well," the Captain replied uncertainly. "You can't. I'm the captain. And besides, this problem the doc's got is between me'n him. You need to mind your business, Jayne, and let me mind mine. Now if you'll excuse me." Mal pushed his way past Jayne successfully this time, and continued on to his bunk. When he saw Simon in the passageway, he shoved his way past the doctor, glaring, and said drily, "Ha, ha, ha. Handle your own problems from now on, doc." Simon flashed a sardonic grin at him as he passed.

"Thanks, Jayne," the doctor said as he slipped past the merc, "but I think the gun was a little over the top." Simon knocked on River's door and called out, "River, I'd like to talk to you."

"Come in," River called. Simon opened the door to find his sister still sitting in bed, the blankets pulled to her waist. "Good morning, Simon!" River greeted pleasantly. The smile on her face erased some of Simon's anger, but only to replace it with nervousness for the conversation he knew he was about to start. "Don't worry," River preempted him, "I haven't been able to convince him to bed me yet."

"Now there's just somethin' disturbin' about that," Jayne chuckled from the doorway. Simon spun around and shut the screen in the intruder's face. Then, turning slowly back to River, Simon fixed her with his sternest big brother look.

"River," he started, a little uncertainly. "Do you realize what you're doing with the Captain?"

"I'm trying to bed him, Simon," she replied innocently. "And if you don't like it, don't study it so closely. I'm a big girl now, and I can take care of myself. Oh, and don't bother to lecture me on his age, or the life he leads, or what mother and father will think. I can refute any of your arguments before you voice them." River tapped the side of her head playfully, smiling at her brother. "By the way," she continued, "I want to start taking birth control. I expect his self-control will crumble any day now."

Simon, jaw hanging halfway to the floor and face as pale as parchment, stared in astonishment at his little sister. "_Meimei_," he finally said, "I'd like to get you into the infirmary for some blood work. You're not acting normally at all."

River's laugh was like chimes on a breezy afternoon, and it carried on longer than Simon thought his statement warranted. "Simon, you're wrong! I'm acting 'normal' for the first time since you rescued me from the Academy. I'm _me_ again. Can't you accept that?"

Simon looked at his sister in understanding, genuinely happy for her well-being, but concerned. "That's what worries me, River. I'm glad you feel better, but there's no discernible cause for it. I'd feel much better about this turn around if I knew what had caused it." Simon met his sister's eyes and said, simply, "Please?"

With a long-suffering sigh, River answered him, "Yes, Simon, I'll let you poke and prod. Later. I have to get changed and eat something, then I have a course to plot." She sat, alternately glancing at her brother and the door, an impatient look on her face.

"Oh, changed. Right." Simon, embarrassed, turned and left the room. Before closing the screen behind himself, though, he turned back and asked, "You promise I won't have to drag you in for those tests?" At a rude gesture from River, Simon closed the screen and left.

XXXXX

River and Mal enjoyed a pleasant brunch by themselves, since everybody else had already eaten. Afterward, they went together to the bridge, where Mal watched River plot their course, for no other reason than that he loved seeing her concentrate on a task. The way she squinted at the nav maps or bunched her brow at the controls when she was thinking made the Captain laugh. To himself. He supposed it didn't matter if he laughed aloud or inside his head, since she was likely to 'hear' it one way or the other, but at least he was trying.

Having plotted the proper course, River swiveled her chair toward Mal's and poked him in the chest. "Yes, I did hear you. Punk." Mal laughed aloud this time, and wrapped his navigator in a hug. "But at least you tried," she conceded in a dry voice. "I have to go down and see Simon this morning," River told him when he released her. "He wants to do some blood work to find out why I'm so normal." River rolled her eyes before she continued. "I've also asked him to put me on birth control."

Mal did a wonderful impression of Simon upon his hearing of the same news earlier. He hadn't forgotten his words to the doctor the previous night. "Um, River," he stuttered, "you _do_ know you have terrible timing, right?"

"At least I didn't ask him yesterday!" she joked by way of reply. "Besides, I already told Simon that you had been a gentleman so far, and that it was my decision to pursue you. You're safe, Malcolm Reynolds." She stood up to leave the bridge, kissing his nose on the way. Mal heard her mumbling, as she walked away, "Man will face an Alliance army and laugh about it, but he's afraid of _my brother_. Sheesh."

XXXXX

The blood tests didn't show any difference in River's physiology. Her hormone levels were the same as the last set of tests Simon had run months ago, and there were no unusual chemicals present. "Next time we go to a core world, I want to bring her in for imaging again," Simon explained to the Captain later that day. "I think it's the only way I'm going to find anything out."

"You think we can just walk in to some Fed hospital and ask nice-like to use their facilities?" Mal scoffed. "If you've forgotten, doctor, we had to _break in_ last time. I don't think they'll just let us stroll in to one of their fancy rooms and fire up the equipment."

"Captain, we were fugitives then," Simon reminded him. "Circumstances may have changed just a bit. I'm willing to wager we could even get my parents to help us set it up." Mal looked at his medic doubtfully. "Remember, Captain, that wealthy people have avenues open to them that the rest of ... us ... don't. I have faith in my parents' ability to help their daughter."

Mal couldn't help but respect Simon's acceptance, finally, of the fact that he wasn't part of the Core elite anymore. "All right," Mal conceded. "If your folks can set somethin' up, I still have to give the okay. You two are on my crew, and I won't set _Serenity_ down on that planet unless I think it's safe. _Dong ma_?"

Simon gave Mal a sly grin. "We're part of your crew, huh? This protective streak isn't for any other reason?"

"What other reason would I -" Mal began, but paused and cocked his head to the side, almost as if he were listening to another voice. Simon noted his resemblance to River in that gesture. Those two had definitely been spending too much time together. "Doctor, did you just crack a joke about me'n your sister's relationship?" Mal asked in a feigned shock. "I do believe you were pokin' fun!"

"Don't think this means I approve, Mal," Simon warned. "I just happen to respect River enough to let her make her own mistakes." The doctor paused a moment, blushing, then corrected himself. "Decisions, I mean." Mal blew a gust of air through his nostrils and shook his head wryly, letting the jibe slide.

"Okay, doc. Once we leave Muir, I'll talk to River about this, and you talk to your folks. If she agrees, and they can arrange it – and if I okay it – then we'll try to plan another trip to Osiris." Mal stuck his hand out, and Simon shook it amiably. _Getting one's way always helps to calm one's mood_, the young man reflected.


	3. A Bad Job Gone Good

**Disclaimer:** None of these are my characters. Joss Whedon is the man (a.k.a. 'Joss is boss.')

A/N: I've discovered that writing a Cockney accent is even more difficult that writing a Western accent, and alternating the two in dialogue is nigh impossible. Instead, I've neglected some of the apostrophes and broken words in favor of an understandable story. Just use your imagination in the key of Badger.

Chapter 3

"Aye, Cap'n," the contact said. "I do recollect a bloke name o' Badger growin' up among these parts. You say the two'a you were friends?" The contact was a short, skinny man who went by the unusual name of Neck. When Mal had asked about the unique moniker, his answer had been, "Me friends call me Neck cuz I got a habit o' wringin' 'em if things don't go just so." Mal liked his own neck just the way it was, and so intended this job to go as smoothly as possible. Not that he was overly worried, he thought, as he snuck a glance at the lithe navigator seated next to him.

"Oh, I don't know if I'd go that far," Mal laughed. "Grudging business associates, at best. We worked together when we knew it was the most profitable road to take, and not much more often than that." Mal briefly reviewed his history with Badger, ending with the view of bloody bodies they'd all seen through the Cortex screen after the Operative's teams had wiped out all their contacts. Well, at least that part of their lives was past, and they'd rebuilt their contact base respectably since then.

The wiry man smiled thinly at the Captain's attempt at levity. "Well, he did have a way o' gratin' at the nerves, he did. Not well liked around here either, if I recollect. Fancied himself a proper businessman, he did. Thought he was too good for us. 'I'm above you. Better than'," Neck quoted, rolling his eyes as he did. Apparently this man had done some dealing with Badger in person, in years gone past.

"Aah, yes," Mal said in mocking fondness. "I do miss Badger's fine diplomatic skills from time to time." Mal shot the smaller man a smile and continued, "So, everything looks shiny from our end. Cal we do business?"

"I do believe some more livestock is just what this little moon could use," Neck answered. "At a profit to us, o' course. What say we meet tomorrow, at about noon?" At Mal's nod, Neck slid a small data chip across the table. "This here's coordinates for a drop point. Shouldn't take you more'n ten minutes by ship, and it's outta the eye of certain ... unsavory characters."

Mal nodded and palmed the data chip. They agreed on a price and were about to leave, when Neck piped up one more time. "Incidentally, Cap'n," he asked almost indifferently, "what type o' ship did you say you fly?"

Mal smiled again and responded, "Best type'a ship in the 'Verse, Neck. A Firefly." The small man nodded.

As Mal and River walked away, the young pilot thought she heard a mumble from behind her. "That's what I thought," the low voice said menacingly.

XXXXX

"So, lil' one," Mal said to River once they were safely away from the bar they had met Neck and his crew at. "We're lookin' at trouble from that one, huh?" The Captain never failed to surprise his pilot with his astute observations. As a Reader, River was used to learning peoples' intentions quickly, but Mal was very good at gleaning information from sources other than the mind.

Giving Mal an appreciative glance, River said simply, "Cousin." At the Captain's confused look, the young woman elaborated. "Badger was his cousin. I believe he blames you for his kin's untimely demise. He wants revenge, Mal. We should walk away, now."

"Now look here, my lil' _tiancai_." Mal was stunned at her lack of faith in his ability to handle dangerous situations. "If that _hundan_ thinks he's gonna give us trouble over somethin' we had no part in, I'd rather end it here and now and get on with our lives. If we can make the man see reason, we may even manage a long-term contact out of it."

"No part in?" River scoffed. "They were killed because they helped you, and because _you_ harbored _me_. How can you say we had no part in it? And how do you know he won't just bide his time until you're unprepared?" The folly of the Captain's reasoning still astounded River on occasion. Like his ability to read people on an instinctive level, this stubborn belief, whether in the better side of human nature or his own ability to deal with the darker side, was unfathomable to the young woman.

"You just stick by me, lil' one," Mal said, "and let me know what's goin' on, and we'll pull through this just fine. Don't we always?" With a crooked smile, Mal draped an arm lazily across River's shoulder. Captain and pilot made their way home slowly, enjoying the fresh air and good company.

Later that evening, plans were laid out for the next day. Jayne would be covering the drop site, which was outside of town, from a convenient hill with his sniper rifle. Zoë would go in with the Captain and River on the Mule, carting the goods along in the hope of a smooth transaction. Simon, Kaylee and Inara would stay on _Serenity_, ready for a quick rescue if need be. Inara had been learning, over the past few months, to fly the ship in case of just such an occurrence.

When deal time came the next day, Mal, Zoë and River set off with the embryos. Jayne had left earlier that morning to get settled in on his hilltop, and make sure none of Neck's people had the same thought. Simon glared at Mal all through the preparations, occasionally sparing a worried glance for his little sister. 'It'll be fine,' she kept saying to him with her eyes.

The trio reached their goal slightly before noon and settled in to wait. They didn't have to for very long, though. Within minutes of their arrival, the noise of many motors roared in at them from around a hill, and five Mules pulled up to surround the Captain and his crew.

"Well, well," Neck said as he stepped out of the lead vehicle. "Ain't you just got your pick o' the ladies?" the little swindler passed a predatory gaze over River and Zoë, then continued. "Cap'n, why don't you'n the girls unload those goods, so's we can see if they're worth what you're gougin' me for."

"You know," Mal said thoughtfully without moving, "if it weren't for the fact I already knew, I'd have to guess you and Badger were related just on the strength of your bad manners." Neck showed his surprise only in the slight widening of his eyes and the brief pause in his cocky saunter. He masked it well, however, so the Captain went on. "Now I also happen to know you think your cousin's death was somehow my fault, a point on which," Mal chuckled, "I have to disagree. You got a gripe, Neck, you best be takin' it up with the Alliance. Those purple-bellies don't play fair. I, on the other hand, do. Which is why I want to see some hard currency before I show you any goods."

"Badger was right, Reynolds," Neck chortled. "You really do act like you got a stick up your _pigu_. 'Better than,' indeed. I'm sure you can do the math, Cap'n. We've got you outnumbered, out gunned, and surrounded. Just pull out the goods nice-like, and we can all go about our day. Unless, of course, you'd like to make a gift of the little one." At this last, more than a few of the roughs surrounding the trio laughed or made crude gestures.

Guessing her intent, Zoë laid a hand on River's arm. "I don't reckon that little joke will play out the same this time, girl," she said softly to the Reader. River sent a reassuring glance at the older woman, and locked eyes with Mal, willing him to understand without a word. Then, full of a dancer's grace, River dismounted the Mule and approached Neck with a sultry walk.

"You want her so bad?" she asked. "What are you willing to do? This little one isn't a gift, to be given away by any man, or to any. You may have us outnumbered, but are you so sure about the other two? Before you make assumptions about a hardened crew of smugglers and criminals, why don't you find out if you can take care of just the smallest one among them?" River began to circle Neck, who was almost afraid to move. "You talk a big game for a petty thief, just like your cousin did. He was full of lies and deceit, never willing to deal square with his peers. Badger thought he was better than everyone else, and look where it got him? Do you really want to be that much like him? Would you be willing to lie in the dirt, watching your lifeblood spill out of you, if it made you more like your hero? Think very carefully about that before you try to cheat me, Nicholas. You don't really want to know what happens to cheaters in this game." The little Reader stopped directly in front of the gang leader, meeting his eyes directly in challenge.

River's short monologue had confused and scared Neck, and some of his crew were grumbling. Others were shifting uncomfortably in fear, whether of losing life or money Mal couldn't tell. River's 'crazy' speeches always gave him an uncomfortableness in his gut, but they were singularly effective in situations like this, so he trusted her and sat at ease in the driver's seat.

"Well," Neck said, trying to regain some of the face he had just lost in front of his crew. "Seems to me you got some knowledge you shouldn't. How do I know you're not Feds?"

"You know our reputation, Nicholas," River answered before the Captain could come up with anything. "And you know the Feds don't play this bait-and-hook game. What they want, they take. Like you. Except they imagine themselves professionals, which only makes them look worse. You don't want to look bad, do you Nicholas? You don't want people thinking you're like the Feds?"

"We ain't like them ruttin' purple-bellies!" Neck exploded. "An' stop callin' me that name afore I rip that pretty silver tongue outta your dirty little mouth!" Neck turned to one of his men and said, "Show 'im the gorram money," pointing in disgust toward Mal.

While the man brought a pouch over to Mal, another of Neck's lackey's tried surreptitiously to draw his gun. As he raised it toward River, a loud report issued over the quiet area, and the gun was thrown from the man's hand. With a loud cry, the man brought his hand in toward his chest while the rest of the men drew their guns and looked around in bewilderment.

Smiling at neck, River said, "Are you sure we're surrounded? Could it be the other way around? How badly do you want to find out?" She looked around at the other Mules, meeting the eyes of each man on Neck's crew in turn. One by one, the men's gazes wavered, then their gun hands dropped slowly to their sides.

With a disgusted snort, Neck stared at his men. "Fine! Let's end this deal then, so's I can go on with my life and have you out of it, you little bitch. I've showed you the cash, now you show me the goods."

The rest of the transaction ran smoothly. Neck cursed in languages Mal had never heard before, but River kept snickering, so he assumed she knew what the angry man was mumbling. Once Mal had the money and Neck had the frozen embryos, the irate gangster turned back to the crew in the Mule. The bandit's other crews had already departed, three Mules laden with goods, and the headman's vehicle poised to depart.

"Watch your neck, mate."

"Should I assume that means you're not interested in future business?" Mal called to the retreating form, scorn and mockery evident in his tone.

XXXXX

Back at the ship, Zoë and Jayne rehung the Mule while Mal and River made their way to the bridge. "That was pretty impressive back there, sweetheart," Mal drawled. "But that don't mean I want you pullin' that kinda _go se_ ever again. _Dong ma_?"

"You're just jealous Neck got such a show," River laughed as she took them out of the world. "Where to, Captain?"

Mal looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Actually, I been meanin' to talk to you about that . . ."

* * *

_tiancai_ – genius 

_hundan_ – bastard

_pigu_ – butt

_go se_ – crap

_Dong ma?_ - Understand?


	4. Discovery, Waiting Ended, The Deal

**Disclaimer:** None of these are my characters. Joss Whedon is the man (a.k.a. 'Joss is boss.')

_A/N: Caution, bit of a graphic surprise near the end. If you're shy or underage, go away._

Chapter 4

"Simon wants me to go back _where_?" River exploded. "No, absolutely not. You _know_ what happened last time we went there! I don't want to go back!" River was almost crying, the strongest emotional reaction Mal had seen out of her in quite a while.

"Hey, River," Mal soothed, "last time was different. You'n your brother were runnin' from the Feds, we snuck in to pull a heist, and it went south. Simon thinks we can do it legit-like this time, with help from your folks. Won't be no runnin' or hidin' this time. Won't be no Feds or Blue Hands this time. We won't even be goin' to the same hospital." Mal was holding her, inscribing circles on her lower back with his hands, trying to calm the nearly-hysterial girl. "I promise, if I don't think it's safe, I won't let it happen. I'll never let anything like that happen you you, ever again. _Dong ma_?"

River calmed somewhat, but the Captain could still hear her whimpering softly into his shoulder. "You promise?" she said softly.

"My hand to god," Mal answered softly.

"Empty promise to a broken belief," River murmured. She almost sounded like she used to, back before she started acting sane. Mal started to worry. The Captain whispered calming nothings for a while, and River finally stopped crying and looked up at him. "No Jayne," she almost whispered.

"He won't even know where we're goin'," Mal promised. River nodded, a defeated look etched in the lines of her face. "This'll just be you, me'n your brother. Doc seems to think your folks can set up somethin' safe. You okay with that?" River nodded again, then curled up in Mal's lap and lay still for a while.

XXXXX

Mr. Tam seemed confident that he could arrange what they needed, and two days later they had a Wave from him confirming it. The plan he outlined seemed solid and, more importantly, safe. Mal okayed it, albeit reluctantly. The memory of his sweet little navigator breaking down in his arms tugged at his heart strings somethin' fierce.

XXXXX

A week and a half later, they were landing on Osiris again. The Captain had told the rest of the crew, except Zoë, that they were only here for more jobs, and that he and the Tam siblings were going out to meet their parents for dinner. In Zoë he confided everything, quietly and out of everyone else's hearing. She would be on standby as their backup, in case this safe little outing turned out not-so-safe, after all.

The trio met with Mr. and Mrs. Tam at a cafe in an upscale part of town, not too far from the hospital. After hugs and other greetings were exchanged, Gabriel looked at his daughter and said, in a voice full of empathy, "River, are you sure you want to do this?"

The young woman smiled sadly and shook her head, but said, "Yes, father, I'm ready. If Simon says this is best, and Mal says it's safe, I trust them. I may not like it, but they'll protect me." River looked up into Mal's eyes with a trusting smile, and slid her arm around his waist.

Mr. Tam glared suspiciously at the Captain, then shot his son a questioning look. Simon shook his head unhappily in agreement and turned away. Mrs. Tam smiled pleasantly at the unlikely couple, though, and held out a hand for River, who reluctantly extricated herself from her beau to walk with her mother. As the group made their leisurely way toward the hospital, the two women spoke in low tones, an occasional giggle sounding from one throat or the other. Father and son likewise huddled together, whispering conspiratorially and casting occasional glares at the Captain, who hung back a bit, trying to look innocent. Mal's senses were everywhere, trying to divine any potential trouble before it struck them.

At the hospital, an elderly doctor met them in a plushly furnished lobby. Mal glared at him suspiciously until Gabriel turned to him and said in low tones, "He can be trusted. I've known him most of my life." To the older man, Mr. Tam said jovially, "Doctor Warrick, greetings. You may remember my children, River and Simon, and this is ... a friend," he finished with a vague gesture at Mal, who glared again as he shook the man's hand.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds, doctor," Mal said. "How do you do?"

"Delighted, I'm sure," the doctor responded in a gravelly voice. "Simon, I believe your father said you had need of our imaging suite?" Gesturing toward the elevators, he led them into the hospital. "Can I be of any assistance to you, young man?"

"No, sir," Simon answered. "You've been more than helpful already. I'd like to thank you for giving us this opportunity. I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to have proper medical facilities at my disposal, after all this time. The ship's infirmary is sparsely provisioned, at best." Simon smiled back at Mal apologetically, though, at this last remark, as if to say, 'No insult intended.' Mal nodded his understanding.

They made their way to the imaging suite, where River lay calmly on the examination table while Simon worked the holo-controls. The rest of the motley group stood off to the side watching, Doctor Warrick in awe of the younger physician's skill. "I never could get used to this newer technology," the older man mumbled over and over. "Still prefer the old-style MRI's, myself."

Simon heard one of his utterances, responding distractedly, "Yes, doctor, but with this I can ..." Simon trailed off. "_T__ian xiaode_!" Simon exclaimed. The others began to crowd in, but were pushed back my Doctor Warrick, who then rushed forward to see.

"What's wrong, Simon?" asked the older man in concern. He moved forward to see the holoimage better. "Why, I may not be an expert, but her brain looks perfectly normal. Well, except for a slight thinning of the surface membranes around her amygdala."

"That's what's so amazing, doctor," Simon exclaimed. "Her amygdala were completely stripped last time we were able to take images! The membranes have grown back almost completely in less than a year." Mal wasn't sure what all the fuss was about, but it sounded like his littles crew member was healing, which he would have assumed to be a good thing.

"They were _what_?" Doctor Warrick asked incredulously. "That's not possible, is it?"

"River was subjected to gross and illegal experiments up until about a year and a half ago," Simon explained. "The people who were holding her stripped her amygdala, in addition to many other terrible things. We still don't know the full extent of the damage, but this was by far the most telling on her mental state. You're right, of course. This shouldn't be possible. Captain," Simon asked, "how long can we stay here?"

"Long as the doc says it's okay, and I think it's safe," Mal answered. "So, are you sayin' she's right in the head again?" Hope and disbelief warred in Mal's mind and voice. River turned her head to smile at the Captain, and reached out a hand for him. While Simon admonished her to remain still, Mal walked over and took her hand, smiling down at her lovingly.

"I told you it was time to wake up," River said quietly. Mal smiled at the reference, though he knew even she hadn't realized the full implications of the statement at the time her dream-self made it.

XXXXX

Three hours later, the Tams and Mal left the hospital, still none the wiser as to how River's brain had healed itself. Mal didn't care, so long as it meant his beautiful little pilot was on the mend. Possibilities whirled through Simon's head, though none seemed to make sense in such an unprecedented case. River's parents smiled as they walked down the street hand in hand, as clear an indication as any that they were truly happy for their daughter. River was content merely to walk, arms linked, by Mal's side. The couple kept smiling at each other and whispering things Simon was sure he didn't want to hear.

The elder Tams accompanied the other three all the way back to _Serenity_. Once there, Gabriel asked Mal to step aside with him for a chat. The other three walked up the cargo ramp together, slight confusion coloring River's face. She had been trying hard lately not to Read people, and it was taking a toll in not knowing what her father wanted with Mal.

"Captain Reynolds," Gabriel began. "Or should I drop the formalities, now that you're so obviously involved with my daughter?" When Mal's jaw dropped, Mr. Tam laughed. "Don't worry, Malcolm, I don't intend to call you out or demand you stop seeing her. I'm just a concerned father, and I want to make sure my little girl is well taken care of. She is?" Gabriel ended with a question, prompting Mal to pick his jaw up off the ground.

"Uh, sir," Mal said, stumbling over his words.

"Please, call me Gabriel," the older man said pleasantly.

"All right, Gabriel. Yes, I'd like to believe I'm takin' good care'a your little girl. I ain't no fancy Core businessman, but we been workin' steady, bringin' in decent money, and she's as safe as I can keep her. 'Course, that's a difficult thing, stubborn as she is about comin' with me on jobs."

Gabriel laughed again. "Yes, that sounds like my little River. I understand that your line of work isn't always as safe as a father would prefer for his daughter, but from what I've heard of her ... abilities, I don't suppose I should worry overmuch. I'd like to continue to connect you to people who can provide mostly legitimate work, however, if you'll allow me." Mal nodded, so Gabriel continued. "My associates were extremely pleased that you were able to deliver their goods ahead of schedule. It seems shipping through non-traditional channels is not just more profitable, but more expedient."

"Well, Gabriel," Mal said. "Wish I could say we don't need the money, but I'd be lyin'. You tell them associates'a yours to give me a call in the next couple days, and I'll see how much'a their cargo I can squeeze in. I ain't sayin' I'm gonna give up the work I been doin', but I'll see about visitin' Osiris a mite more often. I know the kids'd love to see you and their ma more often."

"And I'd like to get to know my little girl's suitor a bit better," Gabriel smiled at Mal's discomfiture. "Really, Malcolm, calm down. I'm glad River has found someone to make her happy. At least you're employed, if not altogether honestly. After learning what the Alliance did to her, I don't fault your wish to be out from under their heel."

"Well, I thank you then, sir," Mal said. "And please, if you wanna call me by name, I go by Mal to my friends. Ain't nobody called me Malcolm since growin' up on Shadow, and that was only when Ma was riled." Gabriel smiled and clapped the Captain on the shoulder amiably, then collected his wife and bid his children good night.

XXXXX

In River's room in the passenger dorms late that night, Mal lay on his back, shirtless, with long hair trailing across his stomach while silky lips trailed kisses slowly across his chest. "Shouldn't'a never took my shirt off," Mal sighed unconvincingly. "You're like to start somethin' I ain't rightly sure I'm strong enough to stop, little girl."

"Good," River answered between soft kisses. "I intend to prove,_" kiss,_ "once and for all," _kiss,_ "that I'm not a little girl." River laughed lightly, her breath on Mal's skin doing something inside his chest he wasn't sure he recognized, while something farther south reacted to her words in a way he recognized all too well.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Mal asked breathlessly.

"I've been ready longer than you could imagine, my love," River answered him sensually. Her hands trailed down Mal's naked torso, tracing scars and muscles. "Are you?" Mal licked his lips and nodded wordlessly, bringing another smile to River's lips. Those lips followed the path her hands had taken, working their way down to his navel.

As the young pilot unbuckled his belt, Mal could only wonder how he had managed to hold out as long as he had. The girl was amazing at what she was doing. Mal sat up suddenly, pushing River back on her knees, and pulled her shirt over her head in one swift motion. He reveled in the sight of glowing alabaster skin and a slight blush, which ran from the top of her bra all the way to her hairline.

River crawled forward on the bed, seating herself in front of Mal with her legs wrapped lithely around his hips. She guided his hands around her sides, to the clasp of her bra, which he fumbled with until she deigned to help him with a small laugh. Mal gasped at the sight of her pert breasts, leaning forward to kiss the skin of her chest. She tasted like summer and smelled like heaven. "_T__ian xiaode_," he said reverently, echoing unconsciously her brother's words of earlier that day.

Divesting themselves clumsily of their remaining clothes, the pair laid down together on the bed. They spent the next hour exploring each other's bodies with gentle touches and soft kisses. The first time River grasped his throbbing length in one delicate hand, Mal groaned. His patience nearly at its end, he rolled her onto her back and locked his lips over hers.

Pushing slowly into her, Mal felt her gasp against his mouth and stopped. "Don't," River said breathlessly. "I've waited so long for this, don't make me wait any longer." Acquiescing gladly, Mal buried himself in her warmth. The two moved together for what seemed like an eternity, but crashed to a climax together all too soon.

Laying in the afterglow, sweaty and satisfied, River once again rested her head on Mal's chest, trailing her fingers along his scars. The naked length of her body was pressed up against him, and all he could think about was how she felt beneath him. The Captain looked down at his navigator, laying next to him with a sated smile on her lips, and knew he couldn't let go of the good he'd finally found in his life.

After the war, Mal and Zoë had recovered together, but very differently. He had found a ship, guaranteeing his freedom from Alliance control as much as possible. She had found a husband. Mal had compartmentalized his feelings. Zoë had sunk her whole heart into Wash. Now, with Wash gone, Zoë was the one burying everything behind a veneer of work and Mal was the one quickly discovering that he had no control over his heart's wanderings. It was all very confusing for the normally rock-steady man.

"How did she do it?" Mal said out loud, thinking River would know what he was talking about without an explanation. Apparently, he was wrong, because she looked up at him with a question in her sex-tired eyes. "You not Readin' me, lil' one?" Mal asked in surprise.

"Getting better at it. No idea what you're thinking right now, just what you're feeling. Why are you confused?" River sat up, and Mal immediately missed the heat of her body against his. Sighing, he sat up as well, leaning back against the wall next to her and taking her hand in his.

"Oh, I'm just wonderin' how Zoë let go'a the war enough to fall in love with Wash." Mal wasn't used to sharing his thoughts or feelings, but somehow it came naturally with River. "Seems to me she changed a bit faster than I reckon is possible for most folk. Zoë was this hardass, steady soldier. Then, all'a sudden, she was a loving wife. I don't mean to say she stopped bein' great backup in a firefight, but it's like she could change suits once she got back to _Serenity_."

"And you think you can't do the same?" River asked. "Do you think loving me will make you soft?"

"No," Mal answered quickly, "that ain't it at all. I don't think lovin' you's gonna make me go soft, I'm afraid I ain't gonna be able to love you right, cuz I can't let go'a the hard." Mal stopped talking for a minute, but River knew he wasn't done, so she waited in encouraging silence for him to find the words for what he felt. "Serenity Valley did things to people ... No, that ain't what I mean to say. Serenity Valley did things to _me_. I don't know how easy it'll be to undo that. I reckon I ain't gonna get lucky and have the part'a my soul was ripped out in that place grow back, like your am... amig... brain pieces." Mal finished with a frustrated look, not for the difficult to pronounce word, but because he was honestly worried about this issue.

"But Mal, I don't intend to let you walk that path alone. You don't need to fight for my love, you already have it. I love you. I'm a patient person, so if it takes you a while to figure out how you feel, I can wait. I've felt for a while that I needed to have you, physically, and I have that now. I want your love more than anything else, but I'll wait for as long as you need, as long as you keep coming to me." River smiled at this last part, and Mal couldn't help but smile as well.

"So," the Captain started, changing the subject uncomfortably, "this gonna change things for us on the job?"

River flashed that radiant smile of hers and answered, "Not for me, lover. You've been my main concern on jobs since you started letting me go with you. And if you're the consummate soldier you seem to think you are, you won't let it change you, either." A mischievous look came into her eyes then. "I would like to start carrying a gun, though. I don't think I could have taken _all_ of those thugs back on Muir before one or two got their guns back up. I'd hate to have to trust you to protect yourself. You're pretty miserable at it."

"Hey!" Mal exclaimed to River's laughs. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm still breathin', ain't I?"

"Purely by luck and a good medic, judging by all those scars I've been playing over." River laughed again when Mal tried to twist his head down to look at his own chest.

"So the deal, then," Mal said after thinking for a few minutes, "is a gun and a whole brain for you, no dyin' and lotsa thinkin' for me, and good sexin' for both of us?" River nodded, and Mal smiled. "I reckon I can live with that arrangement."

* * *

_Dong ma?_ - Understand?

_T__ian xiaode!_ - Name of all that's sacred!


End file.
